Harry, the Dragon, and the Self-Imperius
by the ghost of sirius black
Summary: Two days before the First Task, Harry is desperate for a workable plan, but what he comes up with raises crucial questions. Is it still an Unforgivable if you cast it on yourself? And will it prevent Harry from becoming a dragon's tea-time snack? Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is a bit from a fic I was writing that, frankly, wasn't going anywhere, so I moved on to something else. However, I did like this bit, so I modified it some to stand alone, and present it here for your consideration. Deviations from canon: there was a previous Hermione-hug that didn't happen in GoF, and I moved up Dobby's meeting with Harry to take place before the first task. Enjoy!

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

 _Library_

 _Tuesday, 22 November 1994_

 _8:37 pm_

Harry Potter was exhausted.

Less than 72 hours ago, he had discovered that the first task of the improperly named _Tri_ -Wizard Tournament would involve facing a nesting she-dragon. Since then, Harry had spent nearly every waking moment in the library, searching for a method that a fourth-year student could use to defeat the largest and most ferocious predator on the planet—a task complicated by the fact that Harry had no idea what "defeat" really meant in this context. And with less than two days before the first task, he was rapidly running out of time.

Harry had had a bit of help with his task, though that it was of dubious quality. Yesterday, Professor Moody had kept Harry after class and severely bent, if not outright broken, the tournament rules against staff members assisting the Champions (although Harry refused to include himself in that category, describing himself as a "participant"). Moody has asked Harry several leading questions, ending with Harry "arriving" at the idea of using his vaunted flying skills to distract the dragon. Harry had immediately raced to the library to see if the idea was feasible, and was immensely disappointed to see that a similar attempt had been tried in 1773, and that it had failed. In fact, the attempt by Hogwarts Champion, and Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, Horatio Granville to fly past a Welsh Green and obtain the silver sword that was the goal of the task was regarded as one of the most spectacular failures in tournament history. Less than thirty seconds after taking flight, Granville had been snatched out of the air by the Welsh Green, which chomped its jaws twice, and swallowed the unfortunate seventh-year before any of the horrified judges or spectators could so much as draw wand. This unfortunate occurrence had led to the first of the calls to cancel the Tri-Wizard, though the tournament continued for another sixty years.

Harry had closed the book he'd been reading with a sick feeling in his stomach. Deciding he didn't feel like playing the role of a Snitch to a dragon (shuddering as he recalled his very first Quidditch match, when he had caught the Snitch in his mouth), Harry had decided to continue his research in other directions. But book after book failed to yield anything that was terribly helpful. That wasn't just Harry's conclusion, either. After Harry told Hermione about the dragons, she had immediately volunteered to help him with his research. She had discovered that dragons were frequently used in Tri-Wizard tasks, although nesting dragons had only been used once before, in the first task of the very first tournament. She had guessed that the tournament organizers were very likely to repeat that task—which involved retrieving a golden egg from the dragons' nests—as a way of honoring tradition and the re-start of the Tournament. Harry had agreed that Hermione (as usual) was very likely right, though he refused to discount other possibilities.

Harry puffed his breath out softly in frustration as he closed yet another book. He glanced across the table, to where Hermione sat, surrounded by piles of books on magical creatures. She had a piece of parchment close by and a Self-Inking Quill clutched in her hand, ready to scribble notes at a moment's notice. The sight was so familiar, so quintessentially _Hermione_ , that Harry couldn't help but smile. He watched as Hermione's eyes danced back and forth, across and down the page. Those who didn't know Hermione would have thought that she was merely scanning the words, but Harry knew that her brilliant mind was absorbing the information as quickly as she could read it. Harry continued his observation, content to just watch his best friend read, and not really wanting to return to his own fruitless research.

Suddenly, Hermione's eyes slowed their rapid pace. Harry knew that Hermione must have found something interesting, as her eyes returned to the top of the page. His thought was confirmed when Hermione's teeth came out to bite her bottom lip, as they always did when she was deep in thought. The sight did funny things to Harry's insides, and his breath hitched audibly. He quickly snapped his own eyes back to the book he was reading, hoping that Hermione hadn't heard him. Harry's pulse pounded and he had to make a conscious effort to keep himself calm. He didn't dare raise his head to see if Hermione had noticed him watching her. After a few moments, it seemed that she hadn't, as she hadn't said anything and Harry couldn't sense any change in Hermione's focus on her reading. _'Of course,_ Harry thought, _'it would take a dragon in the library to draw Hermione's attention away from a book. Or maybe a banshee…'_

As Harry felt himself slowly relax from his brush with being discovered watching Hermione, his thoughts drifted to the subject of his best friend. Ever since the troll incident in first year, they had been as close as two friends could be. Lately, however, Harry had begun to realize lately that his feelings toward Hermione were changing, although he wasn't completely certain of the how or the why of it. He suspected that it had begun when he had arrived at the Burrow prior to traveling to the Quidditch World Cup. Hermione had greeted him with an enthusiastic, though brief, hug, which had startled Harry—first, because Hermione had never been so demonstrative before, and second, because Harry had suddenly become cognizant of the fact that Hermione was, in fact, a _girl_. He'd known that beforehand, of course, and knew about the differences between boys and girls (thanks mostly to Seamus' frequent dissertations on the subject). However, having Hermione's body pressed against his, even for a fleeting moment, had opened Harry's eyes to the meaning of those differences in a deeper way than he had previously understood. Hermione certainly wasn't as… _developed_ …as some of the other girls in his year at Hogwarts, such as Susan Bones and Lavender Brown, whose feminine curves couldn't be missed even under bulky school robes. But Hermione was no longer the stick-thin girl she had been in first year; she was definitely turning into a young woman. After the shock of Hermione's hug had passed, Harry had decided that he quite liked being hugged by Hermione, however briefly.

Harry also knew that his developing feelings for Hermione weren't just the result of teenage hormones, a fact brought home by his name coming out of the Goblet of Fire. It seemed as if nearly all of Hogwarts had turned against him overnight, including his supposed best mate Ron. The Gryffindors, of course, had supported him, but they, like all the other houses, seemed incapable of believing that he hadn't somehow cheated to enter the tournament. Only Hermione (and to a lesser extent, Neville) had believed Harry when he said he didn't enter his name. Hermione's steadfast refusal to desert him was the only thing keeping Harry from totally withdrawing into himself. And while Hermione certainly wasn't perfect—her tendency to nag Harry about homework being her most prominent fault—Harry was mature enough to recognize that everyone had their failings, including him. It also didn't hurt that Hermione had seemed to become much prettier this year; her hair was now more wavy than bushy, and much more manageable than it used to be. And while Harry had never considered Hermione's teeth overly large before, he had to admit that they fit her face much better after Madame Pomfrey's treatment after being hit by Malfoy's _Densaugeo_ spell. Even though Harry knew that looks weren't nearly as important as people's attitudes and action (Daphne Greengrass, for instance, was gorgeous, but also rude and unfriendly), Harry _was_ a teenage boy and couldn't help but notice Hermione's increased attractiveness.

Thinking of how pretty Hermione had become, Harry snuck another peek across the table. To his horror, he saw that Hermione was staring right back at him. His stomach dropped at being caught. Hermione, however, seemed not to notice Harry, and he quickly realized that she was merely staring into the distance and only coincidentally looking in his direction. At that moment, however, Hermione seemed to come back to herself. Noticing Harry staring at her, she whispered, "What?"

Harry shook his head. "Nothing," he replied. Thinking quickly, he added, "You looked like you might have found something?"

Hermione grimaced. "Not really. You?"

"No, nothing."

Neither teen had anything to say after that, so Hermione returned to her book, absent-mindedly twirling her quill between her fingers. Harry sighed and picked another book off the pile, determined to focus less on Hermione and more on his upcoming date with a dragon. He read the cover of the book he held— _My Life Among the Dragons_ , by Hildegarde Crimple. Harry had seen her mentioned in other books as the founder of Britain's first dragon reserve in the 1700's. _'Not exactly current,'_ Harry thought. _'Still, never know where I might find something useful_. _'_ With another sigh, he opened the book and began reading.

By the time Harry had read the first ten pages, he found himself totally engrossed. Before she had founded the Welsh Green Dragon Reserve in 1724, Hildegarde Crimple had spent two decades as a naturalist, observing dragons in the wild, even living in their hunting ranges. Harry found the subject matter fascinating and the writing style was surprisingly modern, not as stilted and archaic as he would have expected from an 18th-century book. Suddenly, Harry stopped, gripped by the section he had just read. He went back and read it again, more slowly this time.

 _Dragons have long been considered to be nothing more than dumb, brutish beasts, feared and loathed for their tendency to feast upon all manner of wizards' livestock. A single dragon can easily decimate an entire flock of sheep, herd of cows, or quorum of hippogriffs. However, the dragon's reputation for brutishness and lack of intelligence is decidedly without merit. Dragons are far more intelligent than is widely believed (although they are nowhere near as intelligent as the talking dragons that are found in the stories of Beedle and Fellwyck). In addition, dragons possess exceedingly inquisitive natures. I have observed myriad instances where dragons have become near-enraptured of unfamiliar objects or creatures, keenly observing them for long periods of time._

 _Driven by my own curiosity on the subject, I endeavored to conduct an experiment to gauge the depth of dragons' inquisitiveness. To this end, I arranged for a colleague* to use a portkey (which had only recently been developed) to bring a Yeti into a secluded part of the Ebbw Fach Valley, where a number of Welsh Greens had taken up residence. One might imagine that dragons might regard the sudden appearance of a Yeti as a most welcome tea-time snack. However, since Yetis are unknown in Europe, let alone the rugged valleys of Wales, the dragons reacted with more curiosity than hunger, taking it in turns to snuffle at the unfamiliar biped, dragons learning as much by smell as by sight (see Chapter 3). One specimen even went so far as to give the unfortunate Yeti a full-body lick, which, perhaps unsurprisingly, caused the beast to indulge in a frightful rage. Rather than being threatened by the Yeti's tantrum, however, the dragons merely sat and watched as the Yeti gibbered and howled, shook its fists, and stamped its feet. Even reflecting upon it afterwards, I could not decide if the dragons regarded the Yeti's furious actions as an attempt to communicate or were merely removing themselves from the range of the Yeti's fists as a precaution._

 _In planning this experiment, I had suspected that eventually the dragons would come to realize that the Yeti was indeed suitable for consumption. Not wanting to be unnecessarily cruel to a near-sentient species, I arranged for the portkey to remove the Yeti from the valley after a span of five minutes. This turned out to be quite prescient, as mere seconds before the allotted time had passed, the largest male had begun to emit the low-pitched rumble that dragons use to indicate that prey is available for the pack to partake of (see Chapter 7 for more details on this phenomenon). Before the dragon could snare his prey, however, the Yeti disappeared. This resulted in an almost comical display, as the largest male blinked and cocked his head, looking at the spot where the Yeti had been only a moment previous. It resembled nothing more closely than a cocker spaniel gnawing on a juicy bone, only to have it suddenly disappear from its very jaws. The dragon's expression was, in fact, so humorous, that it was necessary to quickly remove myself from the environs, lest my incipient laughter alert the dragons to my presence, and have them decide that a human would do just as well as a Yeti for tea…_

 _*Durwood Chesterton, then Chief Deputy in the Dept. of Magical Transportation; see Appendix A—Acknowledgements_

Harry sat back, his mind racing. _'Intelligent and inquisitive… intelligent and inquisitive…'_

"Hermione," Harry said slowly, still lost in thought. Receiving no response, he looked across the table and saw Hermione thoroughly engrossed in her reading.

"Hermione," Harry said again, a bit more loudly, though still quietly enough to avoid the sharp ears and equally sharp tongue of Madam Pince.

Still getting no response, Harry hissed, "Hermione!" as loudly as he dared, simultaneously slapping his hand softly on the table.

Hermione was finally startled out of her book-related preoccupation. "Harry? What? Oh, my goodness, did you find something? What is it?"

Harry held up a hand to forestall any more questions. "Remember how you told me that they've used nesting dragons in the tournament before?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, in the first task of the very first tournament, in 1611. Participants had to retrieve a golden egg from each dragon's nest."

Harry nodded. "Right. Can you read these three paragraphs, starting here?" Harry slid _My Life Among the Dragons_ over to Hermione, his finger indicating where she should start reading.

Hermione quickly perused the indicated text and a minute later, looked up at Harry. "That's very interesting, Harry, but why did you want me to read it?"

"Well, according to Crimple, dragons are both intelligent and inquisitive, right?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

"Assuming that you're right about the first task being to retrieve an egg from the nest…" Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Harry quickly put up his hand to stop her. "I agree with you, it's very likely. And it's not like they could give us a very complicated task with no warning."

Hermione closed her mouth and nodded in agreement as Harry continued.

"Given that, don't you think a nesting dragon would notice an egg that _didn't_ belong in their nest?"

Hermione's eyes widened and her mouth formed an "O" of astonishment. Harry nodded, seeing that Hermione understood his train of thought now.

"So even if the egg were charmed to look the same as the others, it would smell different, right? And I've read in more than one book that dragons have a highly developed sense of smell, which they rely on a lot. I don't know how sensitive a dragon's…paws, or whatever…are, but it would probably feel a lot different, too, wouldn't it?"

Hermione nodded, her eyes shining. "I think you're right, Harry. A dragon wouldnotice an extra egg."

"So how come the dragons didn't notice in the first task?"

"I don't know. None of the books said."

The two teens were silent for a moment, before Harry said questioningly, " _Confundus_?"

Hermione bit her lip as she considered it. Harry quickly shot his eyes up to Hermione's; he needed to focus on the task, not on how distractingly cute Hermione was when she bit her lip like that.

"Not likely," Hermione finally replied. "Dragons are too magic-resistant. You said that it took eight wizards to Stun the Horntail the other night?"

"Yeah, eight. I counted."

Hermione nodded. " _Confundus_ is basically a control spell, like the _Imperius_ ," she said, lapsing into what Harry privately called her "Professor Granger" mode of speaking. "You're confusing someone—or some _thing_ , in the case of a dragon—in regard to one or more aspects of their environment. Like how you said that Professor Moody hypothesized that the Goblet of Fire had been _Confunded_ into forgetting that there are only three schools in the tournament. So while it's easy for eight wizards to throw several _Stupefy's_ at the same target simultaneously, I think it would be practically impossible for all eight wizards to coordinate eight _Confundus_ spells to the point where the dragon didn't realize that she had one too many eggs, or that one of her eggs was different. I think it's more likely that they're using a simple Notice-Me-Not, or something similar." Hermione frowned and paused momentarily. "Although it would have to be a spell that is keyed only to the dragon; otherwise, the Champions wouldn't be able to see the egg, either."

"So if it is a Notice-Me-Not, or something similar, a simple _Finite Incantatem_ should take care of it, right?"

"I should think so. Since dragons can't _do_ magic, I doubt that they would really need to put a lot of powerful spells on the egg…or whatever it is that you're supposed to retrieve. I'm going to check a couple of Charms books."

Harry nodded absent-mindedly as Hermione hurried off into the stacks. "Right, good. So a _Finite_ takes care of that part," he muttered to himself. "Now I just need a way to draw the dragon's attention to its nest…" Harry trailed off as his mind started racing. _'Inquisitive…inquisitive…I need something to do distract it. Maybe_ I _could do something. But what could I do that would catch a dragon's interest? I don't have any talents other than flying, and I am_ not _doing that!'_ Harry racked his brain, trying to come up with something he could do to distract the dragon, but nothing came to mind. Almost in desperation, he started thinking of things he'd seen the Dursleys watching on the telly. _'Singing? No. Comedy? Pfft; no. Sports? N…wait, hang on.'_ Harry was struck nearly simultaneously by two memories. The first was the sight of Neville Longbottom doing a rather impressive series of gymnastics while under Professor Moody's _Imperius_ curse. This was followed immediately by Harry's memories from two summers ago, when his aunt had been positively glued to the telly for every second of the Olympic men's gymnastics competitions, much to his uncle's disgust. Harry's breath caught, as his mind raced, making connections. _'Gymnastics might not be the way to go, though. I wonder if there's any other sport I could do?'_ A moment later, an idea hit and Harry smiled.

"What are you smiling at, Harry?"

Harry looked up to see Hermione standing at the table, looking at him quizzically and holding a stack of Charms books.

"Hermione," Harry said slowly, holding Hermione's gaze as she retook her seat, "Is it possible to cast the _Imperius_ on _yourself_?"

Hermione's eyes widened to almost comical proportions.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter doesn't belong to me. If he did, the first book would have sold eight copies. (Thanks, Mom!)

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

 _Champions' Tent_

 _Thursday, 24 November 1994_

 _12:37 pm_

As he sat and listened to the crowd react to Viktor Krum's attempt at the First Task, Harry _really_ wished that someone had thought to put a Silencing Charm on the Champions' tent.

It was bad enough that he had to sit and wait while the other three participants… _'Champions'_ , Harry corrected himself. _'_ I'm _the only participant'_ …while the three _Champions_ exited the tent and confronted their individual dragons. What made the waiting far, far worse, however, was listening to Ludo Bagman's frenetic commentary, accompanied by the screams and gasps of the crowd as they reacted to the efforts of each Champion. His imagination had been in overdrive ever since Cedric Diggory had been the first to exit the tent. At first, Harry had been able to distract himself by watching Fleur Delacour pace and Viktor Krum scowl, but now those distractions were gone.

Suddenly, Harry heard the crowd roar. "AND HE'S GOT IT!" Bagman shouted. "But he's caused quite a bit of damage to the other eggs in the nest! Let's see how that affects the judges' scores!"

Harry took a deep breath and blew it out. He knew, from the same sequence of events happening with Cedric and Fleur, that the judges would take a minute or two to award Krum his scores. About fifteen minutes later, a whistle would blow, indicating that it would then be Harry's turn to enter the stadium and face one of the largest and most vicious predators known to the magical world.

A minute later, Harry heard the crowd applaud and cheer for Krum's scores, then fall into a murmur of conversation that was barely audible in the tent. With nothing to distract him, Harry began going over his plan once again, listing contingencies and strategies over and over, trying not to focus on the one part he couldn't control—how would the dragon react? He and Hermione had come up with several different possibilities, some good, some bad, all of them exceedingly dangerous.

Harry was so focused on going over his plan that he was startled when he heard the whistle signaling that it was his turn to enter the stadium, even though he'd known it was coming. The nervousness that had been held at bay by his ruminations now threatened to overwhelm him. As Harry stood up from the bench he had been occupying, he could feel his heart race and his legs begin to go weak. Harry gulped and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out slowly, then repeated the process twice more. Opening his eyes, he was pleased to note that he felt calmer. Squaring his shoulders, Harry strode out of the tent, down a wooden passageway, and into the stadium.

The first thing that struck Harry upon entering the stadium was its sheer enormity. He knew that it was big, having seen it from the outside as he walked into the Champions' tent. However, seeing the inside was even more awe-inspiring. He now stood at the edge of a circle that was wider than the school Quidditch pitch was long. Surrounding half the circle were rows and rows of seats that seemed to climb halfway to the sky. The seats themselves were filled with wizards and witches of all ages, at least a three thousand in all. Harry hadn't seen a bigger magical gathering outside of the Quidditch World Cup. The floor of the stadium was bare dirt, with a number of boulders spaced here and there, presumably for cover, Harry mused.

But even as Harry was subconsciously taking in the details of the stadium and the crowd, his conscious mind was completely overwhelmed by the seriously, ridiculously, simply _colossal_ dragon in front of him. At least fifteen meters long from tip to tail and three meters tall at the shoulder, the dragon was covered with pitch black scales, and crouched protectively in front of her nest. Harry could see the golden egg laying atop the other eggs in the nest, partially concealed behind the dragon's left hind leg. The same leg had a cuff around the ankle, connected to a thick chain that kept the dragon in place, preventing her from charging Harry. The dragon's blazing yellow eyes were narrowed in fury and her teeth bared in a challenging snarl. _'Oh, good,'_ Harry thought. _'She's already extremely pissed off. Capital start!'_

Just then, Ludo Bagman's _Sonorous_ -amplified voice boomed out. "MR. POTTER! YOUR TIME STARTS… _NOW!_ "

The crowd roared. In response, the dragon drowned out the crowd with an ear-splitting roar of its own. Harry, meanwhile, swiftly took cover behind the nearest boulder and raised his wand.

" _ACCIO_ BAG!" Harry shouted.

Harry knew that the wards protecting the spectators from the dragons would allow objects to pass through. Moody had told him as much during their conversation three days ago, as it would have been otherwise impossible for Harry's broom to reach him. Despite this, Harry felt a flood of relief when he caught sight of the bag he had asked Dobby to stash in the Forbidden Forest sail over the wall of the stadium. If the bag hadn't made it through the wards, Harry had no idea what he would have done. It wasn't something he needed to worry about, however, as a second later, the bag was in his grateful hands.

Harry snuck a peek around the side of the boulder while his fingers hurriedly unknotted the leather ties of the large burlap sack. The dragon obviously knew where Harry was, as she was watching the boulder that concealed him with a gimlet eye. Seeing Harry's head appear caused the dragon to growl deep in her throat. Thankfully, the dragon was chained up far enough away that Harry was in no danger at the moment.

Harry quickly ducked back behind the boulder and thrust his hand into the bag, drawing out what appeared to be a roughly hewn ball of hard clay. He tapped the ball with his wand and said, "Activate!"

Harry said a silent prayer before leaning around the boulder and throwing the ball to land halfway between him and the dragon. Harry watched the ball hit the ground with a soft thud and roll for a few inches before coming to a stop. For an eternal second, nothing happened, before suddenly, the ball began changing shape and color before flattening and spreading outward in an ever-expanding circle. Harry ducked back behind the boulder and let out a quiet "Yes!", accompanied by a single fist-pump.

' _Step one complete,'_ Harry thought to himself. _'Thank you, Gred and Forge!'_

-HDSI-

 _Thanks to the Marauders' Map, Harry had tracked down Fred and George to an unused classroom on the fifth floor. After clearing the map and tucking it back in his bookbag, Harry rapped sharply on the door. A second later, Harry's excellent peripheral vision, a large part of his success as a Seeker, caught sight of something below him. He looked down and saw what appeared to be an all-too-lifelike eyeball on a thin string, looking up at him. Harry was momentarily repulsed until he remembered who was likely on the other side of the eye. Harry grinned and gave the eye a jaunty wave. The eye blinked once before vanishing back under the door._

 _A moment later, the door cracked open just wide enough for two pairs of hands to reach out and unceremoniously yank Harry into the room beyond, before it was silently slammed shut._

" _Harry!" The nearest twin (Fred, Harry thought) greeted him effusively "What can we do for our favorite non-Weasley brother?" the twin-who-might-have-been-Fred continued._

" _Aw, that's sweet of you to say," Harry said as he took a seat on a chair near the door. "And just for being so nice, I won't tell Lee you said that."_

" _Yes, well, we may have known Lee longer…" said the twin-who-might-have-been-George._

"… _but he didn't save our baby sister…"_

"… _our_ only _sister, Gred…"_

"… _from a bloody great basilisk."_

"Or _save our brother from Sirius Black…"_

"… _not that he technically_ needed _saving…"_

"… _but you definitely get credit for the effort, mate."_

" _Indeed you do. So, do tell us, Mr. Potter…"_

"… _what happy circumstances have caused you to seek out our company?"_

" _This room is secure, right?" Harry asked._

" _As secure as it can be," responded the twin on the left._

" _If one of the teachers wanted to get in, they could do it, of course, but we'd have a couple minutes to hide the evidence," added the twin on the right, waving his hand behind him at a broken professor's desk that was covered with materials that would be sure to earn the owners at least a month's detention with Filch._

 _Harry nodded and leaned forward in his chair. "I came here hoping to conduct a little business," he said in a firm voice. "And I wasn't terribly keen to do it in the common room."_

 _The twins leaned forward. "Ooh, this sounds good, Forge," said the twin on the left, rubbing his hands together._

 _The twin on the right nodded. "We've been known to conduct a bit of business on occasion."_

" _And considering that he seems eager to avoid catching the attention of our beloved Head of House…"_

"… _it sounds like something we just might be interested in." The twins looked at Harry expectantly._

" _Ron told me about the portable swamp you two were working on before I came to the Burrow this summer," Harry began._

 _The twins made identical grimaces. "Yeah, it didn't exactly work as expected, unfortunately," one twin said._

" _Too true, brother of mine. Mum was right put out with us about it."_

 _Harry grinned. "Ron said it came out as a lake—or a big pond, at any rate—instead of a swamp?"_

 _The twins nodded. "That's right," said one._

" _The charms we used to make it…well,_ swampy _…didn't mix with the water, so all the mud sank to the bottom of the pond…" added the other._

"… _which meant that none of the plants took hold."_

" _They just kind of withered away."_

" _Why do you ask?" the twins asked simultaneously._

 _Harry smiled grimly. "Well, you might have heard that I've been entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament?"_

 _The twins gave identical sympathetic frowns. "I do believe…" led off one._

"… _that we'd heard rumors to that effect," finished the other._

" _Well, I just found out what the first task is facing a dragon…" Harry began._

" _Cor blimey!""Merlin's bollocks!" the twins exclaimed simultaneously, interrupting Harry._

 _Despite the specter of an imminent giant lizard-induced death looming over him, Harry couldn't help but laugh at the twins' reaction. "I think that's the first time I've seen you two shocked out of your twin-speak."_

 _The twins' expressions were identically somber. "Well, it_ was _a bit of a shock," said one twin._

" _Indeed, brother mine," the other nodded. "So, Harry, what can we do to help?"_

 _Harry looked at each twin in turn. "Do you have any more of those swamps?" he asked._

" _Yeah, we've got one, but it has the same spells on it as the other one, so it won't work," said the twin on the right, a surprised look on his face._

" _It may not work as_ intended _," Harry corrected, "but it_ is _something I'd like to have for the first task."_

 _The twins looked at each other, silently communicating for a moment, before one nodded at the other, who then moved over to the pile of materials on the old and broken professor's desk at the front of the classroom. He rummaged about for a bit before pulling out a lumpy brown ball._

" _Here you go, Harry," he said, tossing him the object._

" _Ordinarily, we'd say that you didn't get from us…" said the other twin._

"… _but seeing as you're using it in the first task…"_

"… _we really don't think a warning is necessary."_

" _Right. Thanks, guys," Harry said, turning the ball over in his hand and examining it closely. "Err…how do I work it?"_

" _Tap it with your wand…"_

"… _say, 'Activate'…"_

"… _and throw it on the ground."_

" _It'll expand automatically to about…how big do you reckon, Forge?"_

" _I think the last one was about twenty meters across, Gred."_

" _What shape?" Harry asked._

" _Last one came out as a rough circle."_

" _And how do I get rid of it?"_

 _The twins exchanged sheepish looks. "That's kind of why Mum was hacked off at us."_

" _We weren't able to dispel it. Had to wait for Dad to come home from work and deal with it."_

 _Harry looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, hopefully that won't be my problem. So, what do I owe you, gents?"_

 _The twins both held up their hands. "On the house, Harry," one said._

" _Considering all you've done for our family…"_

"… _it's the least we can do…"_

"… _and we always try to do…"_

"… _the least we can!" the twins finished boisterously, enormous grins on their faces._

 _Harry was touched. "Thanks, guys. I truly appreciate it."_

" _Don't mention it," the twins said at the same time._

" _Is there anything else…" one twin started._

"… _we can do for you?" the other finished._

 _Harry carefully put the portable swamp in his bookbag and made sure that it was closed securely. He then turned to the twins and said, "Yeah, actually, a couple things…"_

-HDSI-

Harry listened carefully to the surprised gasps and cries from the crowd as he crouched behind the boulder. When the noise subsided some, he risked another peek around the edge of the boulder. As he had hoped, the twins' not-quite-a-swamp had created a roughly circular pond, although it looked closer to twenty-five meters across than twenty. The nearest edge of the pond was less than half a meter away from the boulder that Harry was currently crouching behind.

Harry nodded in satisfaction. He then pointed his wand at the water and concentrated on pouring as much of his magic as he could into the spell.

" _Glacius_."

Immediately, the large pond in front of Harry began to freeze over. After about thirty seconds, it had turned into a sheet of smooth, glassy ice that Harry was fairly sure was thick enough to hold his weight.

"Time for step two," Harry muttered to himself. Steeling himself, Harry palmed his wand so that only the tip was visible past his fingers, picked up the bag he had summoned, and stepped out from behind the boulder to stand at the edge of the now frozen pond. He quickly checked the length of the chain that held the dragon and noted that while he was out of range of tooth and claw, he was likely in range of the dragon's fiery breath.

Harry was relieved to see that the dragon did not seem to be overly aggressive at the moment, although it was definitely watching him closely. Straightening to stand as tall as he could, Harry dropped the bag at the edge of the ice, then paused for the briefest of moments before dramatically throwing off his robes. The crowd gave a collective gasp as they took in Harry's colorful garb…

-HDSI-

" _Is there anything else…" one twin started._

"… _we can do for you?" the other finished._

 _Harry carefully put the portable swamp in his bookbag and made sure that it was closed securely. He then turned to the twins and said, "Yeah, actually, a couple things. Who's the best in NEWT classes at Transfiguration?"_

 _The twins said nothing, merely turned and regarded each other silently for a moment before turning back to Harry._

" _Well, you'd have to ask Oliver about seventh year…" said one twin._

"… _but in our year, it's a bloke in Ravenclaw, name of Oglethorpe," finished the other._

" _Although our lovely Angelina is right behind him."_

" _Right you are, Fred."_

" _I thought you were Fred?"_

" _No, I was Fred yesterday."_

" _Okay," Harry interrupted before the twins could get going. "Is Angelina good at the practical bit, or at the theoretical part?"_

" _Both," the twins replied together._

" _Perfect," Harry said, happy not to have to ask a favor from a student he didn't know. Plus, Angelina was Muggleborn, so she should have the necessary background knowledge for what he needed._

" _And the other thing?" the twin on the right asked._

 _Harry quickly explained what he wanted._

 _The twins both grinned. "Done," said one twin._

" _No charge," said the other._

" _Happy to help."_

" _Thanks, guys," Harry said with some relief. He stood up and moved to the door. "Then, as our business is concluded, gentlemen, I bid you good day."_

 _The twins smirked and bowed in an overly elaborate manner._

" _It was a pleasure doing business with you, good sir."_

" _Now that you know where our premises are located, do come back if you have further transactions to conduct."_

 _Harry grinned. "I'll do that," he said. He quickly checked the map, and seeing no one in the vicinity, quickly left the room._

 _Ten minutes later found Harry in the Gryffindor common room, searching for Angelina's long braids among the crowd of students relaxing or doing homework. He finally spied her at the far side of the room, seated at a table beneath one of the room's many windows and talking with Alicia. Harry made his way over and stood near the table, not wanting to interrupt his teammates' conversation. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long, as Alicia looked his way almost immediately._

" _Hey, Harry. What's up?"_

" _Hey, Alicia, Angelina," Harry said, nodding to each girl in turn. "Angelina, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor. But I can come back if I'm interrupting."_

" _Don't be daft," Angelina replied. "Pull up a chair."_

 _Harry did so, placing it as close to the table as possible. He sat and leaned forward, his demeanor stating louder than words that he wished to keep the conversation private. Angelina and Alicia exchanged a look and leant their heads close to Harry's._

" _So, what's the favor?" Angelina asked in a low voice._

" _Well, the word on the street is that you're a dab hand at Transfiguration," Harry said, equally quietly._

 _Angelina grinned at Harry's praise, or perhaps his turn of phrase. "I do all right," she said modestly._

" _How are you at transfiguring clothing?" Harry asked._

" _What kind of clothing?"_

 _Nonplussed, Harry paused. "Ahhh…I hadn't really thought about it. A set of school robes, I suppose?"_

 _Angelina shook her head. "There's too many charms on the school robes to hold a transfiguration. I could do some of your Muggle clothing, as long as you don't want it to hold for more than a few hours."_

" _That should work," Harry said, relieved. "I've got an old shirt you can use."_

" _What do you want me to transfigure it into?" Angelina asked curiously._

 _Harry told her._

 _Angelina's took on a speculative expression. "This is about the first task, isn't it?" she asked shrewdly._

 _Harry smiled smugly. "You know what MI-6 likes to say, right? 'We can neither confirm nor deny…'."_

 _Angelina laughed while the pureblooded Alicia just looked confused. "All right, Harry, fair enough. Let me ask you another. What do you want it to look like?"_

 _Harry said nothing, just looked bemused. "I…hadn't really given it much thought." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment before finally looking back at Angelina. "Would a picture help?"_

 _Angelina grinned. "That'd be brilliant, yeah."_

 _Harry stood up and scanned the common room. Seeing one of his roommates talking to a familiar brunette, he shouted, "OI! Dean! Are you doing anything right now besides chatting up Katie?"_

 _Dean looked over at Harry and grinned. "Other than planning to smother you in your sleep? Not at the moment."_

 _The other students in the common room laughed, including Harry. "Listen, can you get your drawing pad and colored pencils and come help me and Angelina with something? Shouldn't take long."_

 _Dean shrugged. "Sure, Harry. Be right back." A few minutes later, he was seated at the table with the others, nodding and drawing as Harry explained what he wanted. Fifteen minutes later, Harry was grinning in satisfaction as he looked at the drawing that Dean had made to match Harry's description, with suggestions from Angelina._

 _Dean tore off the sheet with the drawing from the pad and handed it to Harry, who took a final look and said, "Thanks, Dean. I owe you one." He then turned and handed the drawing to Angelina. "So, can you do this? I'll make it worth your while, of course."_

 _Angelina waved her hand dismissively as she studied the drawing closely. "Yeah…yeah, I can do this. Might take me a bit of practice first." She turned away from Dean's drawing and regarded Harry with suspicious amusement. "I assume you'll want this Thursday morning?"_

 _Harry smiled gratefully. "Yes, please. You can make it last for a few hours?"_

" _Yeah, no problem," Angelina replied confidently._

" _Great," Harry said, sitting back in his chair in relief. "I assume you'll need a pair of my trainers, as well?"_

" _That would be easiest, yeah."_

" _All right. I'll meet you in the common room before breakfast on Thursday. Let me get some stuff out of my room. I'll be right back."_

 _Harry hurried up the stairs to his dormitory, soon returning with an overly large shirt and a pair of trainers that he had outgrown but not thrown away. "I made sure to get a clean shirt," he said as he handed the shirt and shoes over to Angelina._

" _Much appreciated," Angelina said dryly._

" _See you Thursday, then." Harry stood and said his goodbyes before heading once more up the stairs to his dormitory._

-HDSI-

Harry had indeed met up with Angelina before breakfast this morning. She had handed him a paper bag, once again waving off his effusive thanks and offers to pay her for her time.

"We're Gryffindors, Harry," she said simply. "We take care of our own. Plus, McGonagall gives extra credit for outside projects if we write up the process and the results. This project should net me an Outstanding, no problem. Now go try it on, then come back down and I'll see if it needs adjusting." Harry had returned a few minutes later, his expression sheepish and his cheeks tinged with red. He was still wearing his school robe.

"How's it fit?" Angelina asked.

"Fine," Harry mumbled, desperately hoping that Angelina would be satisfied with his answer. He really hadn't thought out his choice of outfit, he realized.

"Well, come on—let's see it," Angelina said eagerly.

Blushing fiercely, Harry removed his school robe and was immediately greeted with catcalls and whistles from several girls in the common room.

"Looks good," Angelina remarked. "Now turn around and let me see the back," she continued, making a twirling motion with her hand.

Harry blushed even harder, but obediently turned in a slow circle, only to whip around as the whistles returned, with a couple girls making rather loud and complimentary remarks about Harry's attributes to one another.

Angelina grinned at Harry's discomfort. "Oh, yeah," she said, her eyes dancing. "It fits."

Harry mumbled his thanks, threw his robe back on and dashed out of the common room, clutching the paper bag and doing his best to avoid eye contact with what seemed to be the entire female population of Gryffindor.

Now, standing in front of a nesting Hungarian Horntail, as well as thousands of witches and wizards, Harry stood straight and tall, maintaining eye contact with the dragon. He remembered a story Remus had told him about a prank the Marauders had pulled in the Great Hall during fifth year, stressing the importance of making a good show. Some half-bloods and Muggleborns gave shouts or laughs of recognition when Harry had thrown off his school robes, while most of the older purebloods in the crowd were scandalized by the skintight unitard that covered Harry from neck to ankle. It was pure white and covered in loose strips of fabric in a riot of colors, which stirred gently in the breeze. Regardless of blood status, however, most of the teen witches had reactions similar to those heard earlier in the Gryffindor common room, though not all gave voice to their thoughts.

Harry half turned away from the dragon, making sure to keep her in his peripheral vision. He surreptitiously drew his wand and cast a Switching Spell on his right shoe. A pure white ice skate appeared on his foot, already laced tight. Harry repeated the spell on his left shoe and tucked his wand back into the wrist holster that Sirius had sent him for his birthday. He turned to the stands and spotted Fred and George sitting in their previously agreed-upon location. He gestured to the twins, who nodded and stood, drawing their wands and pointing them into the air.

" _Symphonia!"_ the twins cried in unison.

From seemingly nowhere, a clarinet trilled the opening bars of a tune that Harry remembered from music class at his Muggle elementary school. He wondered briefly how and where the twins had discovered _Rhapsody in Blue_ before taking a deep breath, and stepping onto the frozen pond.

As soon as Harry's skates hit the ice, a dreamy lassitude came over him. In the back of his mind, Harry knew _exactly_ what was happening, and had to fight the impulse to throw off the effects of the _Imperius_ spell he had put himself under yesterday.

-HDSI-

 _It had been Hermione, of course, who had come up with a solution to the main problem—how to give himself directions after casting the spell, as Harry was both the controller and the intended controlee of the_ Imperius _. Hermione's father had bought a couple of books on self-hypnosis shortly after her birth, to help him quit smoking. Hermione had read them, of course, years later, as she had read apparently every book in her house._

 _At Hermione's suggestion, Harry had first written out his commands on a piece of parchment. He had then spent a good deal of time in relaxing his body and mind, though he continued to loosely hold his wand in his right hand and the parchment with directions in his left. Harry drifted deeper and deeper into his relaxed state while simultaneously concentrating on the fact that he would need to cast the spell at Hermione's signal. When Hermione, who was observing, had judged Harry to be relaxed enough, she had softly said, "Now, Harry!"_

 _Harry had reflexively cast the_ Imperius _on himself at Hermione's direction. A minute later, Harry woke to find himself sitting in an old armchair in an empty classroom, Hermione observing him closely._

 _Harry blinked and re-oriented himself to reality. "Did it work?" he asked._

" _I think so," Hermione responded uncertainly, biting her bottom lip. "Your eyes went all glassy and then you looked down and read the directions. When you were done, you…came back, I guess is the best way to put it."_

 _Harry nodded thoughtfully. "It feels like it worked," he said after a minute._

" _I wish we could have tested it," Hermione frowned._

 _Harry shook his head. "Doing it once was bad enough," he said, feeling vaguely dirty at casting an Unforgivable, even if it was only on himself. "Besides," he continued with a grin. "The smartest witch of her age came up with how to cast it. What could go wrong?"_

 _Hermione had blushed and looked away, a pleased smile on her lips._

-HDSI-

Now, gliding smoothly across the ice, Harry's conscious mind was relegated to the role of spectator. Hermione's plan had worked to perfection. Harry didn't have to _consciously_ remember the moves of the figure skaters he'd caught glimpses of on the telly, Hermione had explained to him. What he had seen was buried deep in his subconscious memory, and the _Imperius_ would respond to Harry's self-command to imitate what he glimpsed the skaters doing on the ice.

And so Harry sped about the ice, leaping and spinning in ways that he would never be able to perform if not under the effects of his self-directed _Imperius_. His conscious mind, still clinging to its sense of self-preservation, kept one wary eye on the dragon. The Horntail had recoiled at first, almost as if it had been surprised, reminding Harry of Hildegarde Crimple's description of the Yeti experiment. As Harry continued skating, however, the Horntail had cautiously moved her head closer, her sinuous neck moving back and forth and her great yellow eyes tracking Harry's every move without blinking. Harry idly thought she might have been moving to the music.

Seeing that the dragon showed no signs of attacking him, Harry's conscious mind soon relaxed. Harry watched as his _Imperius'd_ subconscious led his body through graceful sweeping turns, powerful leaps, and dizzying spins, all in perfect time to the music.

After a few minutes, Harry turned into a spin with his arms out. He slowly brought his arms in to his body, causing him to spin faster and faster, until the music reached a crescendo. Harry put one skate edge into the ice, halting his spin at the very moment that the music stopped, and throwing one arm dramatically into the air. He stood on the ice, facing the dragon, though still a respectful distance away, his chest heaving, muscles burning. Harry could hear applause from the stands behind him, but he ignored it, maintaining eye contact with the dragon. It was her reaction that would determine his success or failure.

The dragon had drawn her head back at the end of Harry's routine, her neck curved much like that of a swan. She regarded Harry with an attitude that seemed to be almost judgmental, to Harry's mind. Finally, she gave a kind of huff and lowered her head in a manner that was wary, but not aggressive.

' _She sounds…pleased?_ ' Harry mused. Seeing that the dragon was behaving in a non-threatening manner, Harry pushed himself backward, still maintaining eye contact with the dragon, until he reached the burlap sack he had left at the edge of the ice.

Harry stepped off the ice and quickly Switched his skates back to trainers, before picking up the sack and reaching his hand in. His arm went far deeper into the sack than should have been possible (at least without magic), indicating to all watching the space expansion charms that must have been cast upon it. Eventually, Harry drew his arm out of the sack, his hand clutching an entire leg of mutton, which he dropped to the ice at his feet. The dragon took immediate notice, her gaze falling from Harry's face to the meat laying in front of him. Harry watched the dragon closely as he slowly drew his wand. He stopped immediately when the dragon's eyes snapped back to Harry's face and she gave a low growl. Harry carefully pointed his wand at the mutton in front of him and quietly cast a Banishing Charm, sending the sheep's leg sliding across the ice. It stopped when it hit the hard-packed dirt on the opposite side of the frozen pond, directly in front of the dragon.

The dragon watched the mutton as it traversed the frozen pond. When the leg stopped in front of her, she gave Harry a suspicious look, then slowly lowered her enormous muzzle to examine Harry's offering. After several cautious sniffs, the dragon was apparently satisfied that the meat was safe, and proceeded to open her jaws and take the entire leg into her mouth. The dragon noisily crunched twice, then swallowed.

' _It worked!_ ' Harry exulted. ' _Thank you, Dobby!_ '

-HDSI-

" _Dobby!" Harry called._

 _Dobby immediately popped into being in front of Harry, who was sitting on his bed, having made sure that none of his roommates were present._

" _What can Dobby be doing for the great Master Harry Potter sir?" the excited elf asked, vibrating with happiness at being in Harry's presence._

 _Harry suppressed a sigh at Dobby's fulsomely praising name for him. "Dobby, I need a favor…" he began._

" _Anything, Master Harry Potter sir!" Dobby exclaimed in a paroxysm of gleeful worship._

 _Harry smiled. It was impossible not to like Dobby, despite his overenthusiastic nature._

" _Dobby, if I give you a letter of authorization, can you get money out of my Gringotts vault?"_

 _Dobby's eyes slid sideways and he squirmed a bit as he nodded his head. "Oh, yes, Master Harry Potter sir. Dobby can be doing that."_

 _Harry noticed Dobby's slightly odd behavior, but decided to ignore it as he exhaled in relief. "Great!" he said, reaching into the inside pocket of his robe and drawing out a sealed envelope. "I want you to take this to Griphook at Gringotts. Or if he's not available, find another goblin who can help you."_

" _Right away, Master Harry Potter sir!" Dobby said, reverting to his previously manic manner, reaching for the letter._

" _Wait, Dobby!" Harry said, holding the letter above his head. "If you don't mind, I'd also like you to do a bit of shopping for me. Is that okay?"_

 _At Dobby's frantic nod, Harry continued. "I need you to go Diagon Alley and buy me a bag with space expansion charms on it. Hermione said she saw some at Cartwright's Trunks, but that they're really expensive. After that, I need you to buy five whole legs of mutton. I don't know how much all that will cost, so I'm trusting you to withdraw what you need from my vault. Can you do all that, Dobby?"_

 _Dobby continued nodding frantically, his ears flapping noisily against his skull. "Oh, yes, sir! Dobby can be doing all that, Master Harry Potter sir!"_

" _Good," Harry replied. "Last thing—when you have all that done, I want you to put the mutton in the bag under a Stasis Charm, then bring it here to me, so I can put one more thing in it. Then I need you to store it some place safe and put it at the edge of the Forbidden Forest that's closest to the stadium that's been built for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The first task starts at 11 a.m., so the bag needs to be there by 10.45. Have you got all that, Dobby?"_

" _Oh, yes, Master Harry Potter sir! Dobby will take care of everything!"_

" _Right, thank you, Dobby. Is there anything I can do for you?"_

 _Dobby burst into tears and shot forward to hug Harry around his shins. "Great Master Harry Potter sir asks if he can do anything for Dobby! Master Harry Potter sir is the bestest wizard!"_

 _Harry hemmed. "Yes…well…all right," he said, awkwardly patting the tearful Dobby on his head. "Anyway…here's the letter. Let me know when you've got everything done."_

 _Dobby sniffled and wiped his runny nose on the tea towel he wore. "Yes, Master Harry Potter sir. Don't worry. Dobby be taking care of_ everything! _" He took the letter from Harry's hand and with a pop, disappeared from the dormitory._

 _Harry flopped back onto his bed and exhaled noisily. He liked Dobby, he really did, but_ Merlin, _the little bugger was_ exhausting!

-HDSI-

Upon seeing the dragon swallow the leg of mutton, Harry grabbed the bottom of the burlap bag in both hands and upended it. Four more legs of mutton tumbled to the ice in front of Harry. He swore he could see the dragon's eyes light up at the sight.

Harry pointed his wand at the mutton leg furthest to his left and Banished it. This time, he aimed the mutton not directly at the dragon, but at a point about three meters to the dragon's right, still within easy reach of the giant predator.

This time, the dragon only gave the leg one cursory sniff before devouring it, then looked expectantly back at Harry. Harry smiled and Banished another mutton leg across the ice, aiming it even further to the dragon's right, forcing her to shuffle away from her nest just a bit in order to reach the tasty morsel.

While the dragon's attention was focused on scarfing down Harry's latest offering, Harry had started moving much more quickly. He first pointed his wand at one of the two remaining mutton legs and Banished it as far to the dragon's right as he could without placing it completely out of her reach. He then pointed his wand at the golden egg.

Harry held his wand steady and remembered what Professor Lupin had taught Harry's third-year DADA class about the importance of aiming spells long-distance. "Casting spells against dark creatures isn't like Transfiguring an object, or casting Charms at it," he had informed the students. "For those, you can take your time and actually touch your wand directly to whatever it is you're casting a spell on. With dark creatures, if you can touch it with your wand, it's likely too late. You need to be able to hit it with a spell from a good distance away."

Harry sighted along his wand at the golden egg laying on top of the dragon's nest. He quickly cast _Finite_ three times, in order to give himself the best possible chance of hitting his target. He then quickly stooped and picked up the remaining leg of mutton. Holding it at arm's length, he angled his wand slightly upward and sent the most powerful Banishing Charm he could at the leg. Harry sighed in relief as he watched the mutton sail through the air and land on top of the dragon's eggs.

The dragon, who had shuffled as far to the right as the chain on her leg would allow, stretching her neck to reach the last leg of mutton that Harry had sent skittering across the ice, whipped her head around at the threat to her nest. Seeing the severed sheep's leg laying atop her eggs, she turned to glare at Harry, who had quickly put his wand away and was now standing with his hands empty and off to his sides, palms facing the dragon in a deliberately non-threatening display.

The dragon stared angrily at Harry for a moment longer before she snorted and trundled back towards her nest. She gingerly removed the mutton from her nest and gulped it down.

Harry held his breath. _'Come on,'_ he thought silently. _'Notice. NOTICE!'_

The dragon remained impervious to Harry's silent exhortations, however, as she swallowed the last of Harry's ovine treats. Harry's shoulders sagged, his hopes dashed beneath thirty tons of angry lizard. He cursed internally, and wondered what in blazes he was supposed to do _now_.

Suddenly, however, the dragon stilled. Whether it was the sudden lack of raw meat aroma filling her nostrils, or some other factor, _something_ in her nest had clearly caught her attention. She leaned forward to sniff at her eggs, then immediately jerked her head back and growled, deep and dangerous.

When the dragon turned her baleful glare upon Harry, he pointed without hesitation to the judges' box with his right hand. He knew there was no danger of the dragon successfully attacking the stands, given the powerful Ministry wards Moody had told him were in place; otherwise, the she-dragon might have been able to roast the nearest spectators like so many marshmallows.

The dragon raised her head, glowering murderously at the judges' box and the insignificant humans therein for several long moments, before giving what Harry swore was a snort of derision. The dragon then turned to stare at Harry with a look that was almost calculating. Harry had returned to his non-threatening stance, palms out and open, and unblinkingly returned the dragon's look, trying desperately to appear confident but not challenging. After a few moments, the dragon turned back to her nest. She sniffed once at the golden egg before opening her jaws and taking it into her mouth. The dragon then moved her head to drop the egg on the edge of the icy pond. She then gave the egg a sharp push with her snout, sending the egg skittering and sliding across the ice, directly to Harry.

Harry put out a foot and stopped the egg's motion, right where ice met dirt. Never taking his eyes off the dragon across the pond, Harry slowly stooped and picked up the egg. Making sure he maintained eye contact, Harry bowed his head in thanks and began slowly sidling toward the exit to his right, never breaking eye contact, the dragon slowly swiveling her head as she followed his progress. Thirty-seven tense seconds later, Harry entered the tunnel beneath the stands. He explosively let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and threw a hand against the wall to keep his suddenly trembling legs from collapsing. After a few moments of deep breathing, Harry straightened and shakily made his way through the tunnel, emerging into the medical tent.

From previous experience, Harry immediately recognized the four screens in the tent as the type that surrounded the beds in the Hospital Wing. Instead of the standard white, however, the screens were colored to indicate the four Champions—Beauxbatons blue and gold, blood red bordered with black for Durmstrang, Hufflepuff yellow and black, and the familiar Gryffindor crimson and gold.

The flap to the medical tent must have had an alert ward on it, for as soon as Harry walked in, Madam Pomfrey popped her head out from behind the Beauxbatons screen. "Ah, Mr. Potter. Take a seat in there," the school healer said, indicating the Gryffindor screen with a nod of her head. "I'll be with you in a moment."

"It's all right, Madam Pomfrey. I didn't get hurt at all," Harry replied.

"I'll be the judge of that, if you don't mind," Madam Pomfrey sniffed, pointing imperiously at the Gryffindor screen.

"No, really. I didn't get scratched, clawed, bitten, sat on, or anything. She didn't even use her fire breath on…"

Harry trailed off as he saw the implacable steely glint in Madam Pomfrey's eyes, indicating that she would _not_ be changing her mind, that Harry _would_ be checked over medically. Sighing, Harry trudged over to the Gryffindor screen. "Yes, Madam Pomfrey," he said in resignation.

Madam Pomfrey watched until Harry disappeared behind the screen before ducking back behind the Beauxbatons screen. Harry took a seat on the bed, setting the egg next to him. When Madam Pomfrey didn't appear after a few moments, Harry picked up the egg and was just beginning to examine it, when he heard a voice he knew all too well.

"Harry?"

"Hermione?" Harry replied, confused. _'What is she doing here?'_ he wondered.

Harry set down the egg, hopped off the bed, and opened the flap to the tent. His eyes widened in alarm as he saw Hermione, her eyes red and hair wilder than usual, running directly at him, at a speed that would make her a favorite at the next Olympics.

Harry put up his hands to try and stop his classmate/best friend/force of nature. "Hermione, wait! I'm okay! I'm not…"

Harry's words went unheeded, however, as Hermione tackled him. Her emotional distress, however, had apparently clouded her ability to judge her speed, as her momentum caused both herself and Harry to crash into the bed, knocking it over, sending the egg flying, and ending with Harry's back slamming against the hard ground, Hermione landing heavily on top of him. Had Hermione's father, a punishing fullback on the Cambridge University rugby team in his time, been there to see his daughter's takedown, he would have stood and cheered.

"…hurt," Harry groaned, finishing the sentence he had begun before being upended. His word went unheard, however, as the impact of the golden egg on the ground had caused it to open and begin screeching loudly.

"I'll get it," Hermione shouted, uncomfortably close to Harry's ear. She struggled to free her limbs from Harry's and raise herself up. While working to disentangle herself, Hermione promptly (and accidentally) hit Harry in the forehead with her elbow.

"OW! Hermi…" Harry's complaint was cut off, however, as Hermione, still struggling to rise, kneed Harry painfully in the stomach, causing him let out a painful "OOF!" and knocking the wind out of him. This was quickly followed by even worse pain as Hermione's foot stepped on Harry in a spot a bit below his stomach. With little air in his lungs, Harry could only give out a pitiful whine and clutch himself while curling up in a ball, as Hermione finally managed to lift herself off of Harry in pursuit of the wailing egg.

Harry stayed where he was, desperately trying to will away the pain below his waist and get his breath back. He realized that he tasted blood and gingerly touched his tongue to his lower lip, wincing as he felt the split there. _'Probably happened when she first tackled me,'_ Harry grumbled internally.

By this time, Hermione had managed to get the egg closed. In the sudden silence, Harry could now hear Madam Pomfrey shouting at the poor girl.

"… _is a medical facility! If you have_ quite _finished_ assaulting _Mr. Potter, kindly_ remove _yourself from the premises AT ONCE_!"

Hermione shot to her feet and fled from the tent, pausing at the screen long enough to look back and say, "Sorry, Harry!" before bolting outside.

Harry waved feebly at the already departed Hermione, more intent on clutching his bruised and painful bits. After a minute or so, he rolled over to lie on his back, only to see Madam Pomfrey staring at him with a barely suppressed smirk on her face.

"So, Mr. Potter, do you still maintain that you do not require treatment?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

Harry said nothing for a moment. "If it means that much to you, Madam Pomfrey," he wheezed in a poor attempt at nonchalance.

"Very well, then," Madam Pomfrey replied, clearly quite amused, and turned to wave her wand to right the bed onto its legs.

Harry gingerly rose from the ground, careful not to aggravate his injuries, and slowly lowered himself to sit on the bed. Harry sat silently for a few moments as Madam Pomfrey began waving her wand over him, before he began chuckling quietly to himself.

"And just what is so amusing, Mr. Potter?" asked Madam Pomfrey as she removed Harry's glasses and peered at his eyes.

"Hermione Jean Granger," Harry intoned in a voice laced with humor and a touch of awe. "More dangerous than a Hungarian Horntail."

"All women are, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey replied as she replaced Harry's glasses, a mysterious smile on her otherwise stern visage. "And you would do well to remember that fact. Now lie down and hold still; I need to perform a full-body scan."

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey," Harry sighed. He shifted into position and made himself as comfortable as possible, wondering how soon he would be able to get back to the castle and make his way to the kitchens. Going up against a dragon made a bloke hungry.


End file.
